I am Ratsbane
by lishyu
Summary: A little girl's point of view. ...god have mercy on us all...


Disclaimer: The usual.  
  
NO, 'Ratsbane' is NOT my original character. She is introduced by the author himself as Orphan's future daughter. Apparently, 3 years after the end of the novel, Orphan will have a daughter named Ratsbane (...I know. What was Orphen smoking when he names her this?!) and live with his family on the outskirts of the continent. Majik would have become a well-off sorcerer by this time and visit Orphan's family every now and then. Now, needless to say, these few passing comments by the author has sprung a HUGE debate on whom Ratsbane's mother might be. There are a number of candidates (Orphan's practically BURIED in girls... -_-;;), including Cleo, Cogi, Azalea, Tish, etc... even Mariabelle. I'd love it to be Azalea, but from how the novel's been progressing these days, this seems unlikely. (You'd need a body first, in order to have a child) So, I'm basing this fic on the mother being someone else than Azalea. Maybe I'll write a different version if Azalea attains a physical form in the novel later on.  
  
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I am Ratsbane.  
  
I'm alone now, but daddy will come back soon. Silly daddy, he left the picnic basket at home, with all those yummy things in it. Meanwhile, I'll tell you a little about daddy. You don't know? Bird-brain! He's the most famous magician in the whole world! Don't be angry, I was just kidding. Hey, being angry with a seven-year old kid is not very nice. You should be ashamed of yourself! Get down and give me fifty at once!  
  
Hehe, I know. Mommy taught me how to speak like this. Daddy didn't like it, but he can't talk back to mommy!  
  
Well, anyway. Daddy's real smart. Well, not smart smart, but more can-blow- up-anything-smart. He's real good with magic, and he's teaching me some too. My daddy's awesome! He can fix anything in the house with a little chant, do the dishes in a flash with another chant, and even replace a light bulb with a flick of a finger. Uncle Majik laughed REAL hard the last time he came over and saw daddy work. Daddy didn't want to work, with uncle Majik being there and all, but mommy made him do it anyway. Daddy was angry with mommy for a few days, but I knew it wouldn't last. Mommy ALWAYS wins.  
  
Uncle Hartia said something about that too. Something Daddy told him a long time ago, although when I told daddy he said he REALLY wished he hadn't. A long time ago, before I was born, daddy ran across a fo-toon-teller. (I don't really know what that is yet. I'll ask mommy later.) Daddy didn't want to listen to the fotoonteller, cause she was trying to trick him off into saving the world, again. Daddy was always bit-chy, mommy says. He can't even save his own neck, so why should he care about anyone else? Well anyway, the fotoonteller told him those few words anyway. He said, [Not so far now. Soon, every woman in the world will swarm around you ? the older ones will skin you bare and sell it to the coat-makers, and the younger ones will wring you by the neck and drag you into every imaginable trouble.] Daddy hates that footoonteller. He said something about bad promotions ruining his life. Uncle Hartia laughed himself hoarse, just like uncle Majik did. HE said something about being so dead on the spot.  
  
Daddy's late. Mommy probably caught him. Poor daddy. Isn't this a beauuutiful place? Daddy chose this spot as our home before I was born. Not many people here, but there are postman to deliver uncle Majik's letter and people to buy stuff from. That's enough, daddy says. 'That's all the luxury a person needs.' I think that he's just sick of the 'angry-mob-at-my-front-door' thing every Fridays after work.  
  
Everytime we go visit a bigger town, I can see people starring at us. Mommy says that that's because I'm soooo cute, and I agree, but I think there's another reason too. That necklace around daddy's neck. Daddy treasures that black dragon necklace VERY much. He won't even let me hold it. I thought it was oh-so-pretty and tried to take it off the last time daddy went sleep, but he caught me. I was so surprised when he opened his eyes just like that and grabbed my wrists ? and it hurt so much! I've never seen him so... scary. Mommy was furious with him for hurting me, and I cried and cried, until Daddy's eardrums got busted. Daddy had to be my horsey for a whole month!  
  
I never ask him for the necklace again.  
  
Daddy says things when he thinks I'm asleep. He talks low, slowly, in a sad voice ? about how he's doing, how our family is doing, and how happy he is. He sometimes tells whoever he's talking to about me. How I look very much like that person. Unruly dark hair and deep brown eyes.  
  
Daddy says he can drown in those eyes. He says he still is, drowning.  
  
He sometimes calls me by that name. Over and over again. He never cries though, even though he looks as if he really wants to. He asks if She was reborn in me. He hopes, he says.  
  
I think I'm afraid for him.  
  
I don't say anything though. Even though his voice become hoarse and hands tremble everytime he says these stuff, he also seemed... happy. Happy to be talking, to her, I guess. So I keep silent.  
  
I dared to asked uncle Hartia once, about Her. Hey, don't give me that look! Not directly ? I'm not THAT stupid ? just passing by. Uncle Hartia became all quiet (which is VERY unlike him). Then he told me a story... about daddy's family. I liked it. But then uncle never told me how it ended.  
  
I don't know... I'm only seven years old. I don't know a lot of stuff. When I was six, I wanted to become an adult real quick. You know, firing magic around and traveling, adventuring and stuff, all day. But daddy and uncle Hartia and uncle Majik and all the aunts... ...seem so sad. Depressed. Now I'm not so sure if I want to be an adult that quick. Nothing to be happy about, I think.  
  
Oh, here comes daddy. You better get out of here quick. Daddy doesn't like it when I talk to strangers. Who are you anyway? You're not from around here are you? Oh? Daddy's friend? I must know you then. I heard about almost everybody daddy knows. What's your name? ... ......huh? ...But that's...  
  
Even from afar, I could see daddy's eyes opening wide, in shock. The figure beside me waved. Smiled.  
  
Sunlight shone onto the stranger's face.  
  
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...then She slams into him with a full-force body attack, dagger in hand. Orphen is knocked off, bleeding, unconscious. As Azalea proudly steps on his body, Ratsbane claps out loud from the sidewalk.  
  
-_- Amen.  
  
2004: This fanfic was written a year or so ago. Having read a few more volumes, I now know Orphen's personality a little better now and know that he would never behave so.... sentimentally. -_-; but I thought, what the heck, just post it up instead of leaving in in the trash, so here it is. Enjoy. 


End file.
